Namari' means 'Lead'
by Bad Ass Female Fighter
Summary: *Rewritten* They say that the Moon Demon Company is the only organization to resist and fight the vampires, but what if there was someone more powerful and can kill the vampires without the use of a demon weapon? Who is he... what is this secret that he harbors behind the mask that he wears.
1. Chapter 1

_**I'm doing anther rewrite for this fic because it is not going as I planned.**_

* * *

Hidden within the shadows of the houses, a stranger who wore a dark cloak and a japanese fox mask glared at the vampires that were forcing innocent children from their homes. Each child had a look of fear in their eyes as they walked in line towards the helicopters that will take them to the vampire nobles in Naguya to serve as livestock. Grey-blue eyes glared daggers at each vampire, especially on the purple haired noble and the blonde vampire that was walking away.

The fox mask watched each child that was found in the abandoned neighborhood, he just needs to time this just right to use the helicopters and take the children to his safe haven, away from these bloodsucking bastards.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!" he shot his gaze toward the source of that cry to see a little girl, around 7-8 years old, being dragged by one of the vampires, "NO! STOP! PLEASE, I'M NOT GOING WITH YOU!" The little girl cried as she struggled against the grip the vampire has on her arm as they walked towards the helicopters with two other children and the violet haired noble.

The masked ninja did a series of handsigns, creating copies of himself before he ordered his clones to surround the helicopter. He saw a flash of blonde hair at the corner of his eye and saw the blonde vampire in the air, coming after that little girl. Doing another series of handsigns, "Earth Style: Earth Spike Jutsu." he said, casting his spell upon the vampire who pinned the little girl down underneath him.

Just as Mika was about to sink his fangs into the poor girl, spikes shot out of the ground around the terrified girl and through Mika. This phenomenon surprised the children and the vampires witnessing this, making their eyes widen before all around them, dark cloaked people wearing the same fox mask appeared and started killing the vampires.

Lacus unsheathed his sword when he felt something charging at them with full speed. Out of thin air, a cloaked person with a fox mask appeared with a three bladed kunai in his hand and blocked the vampire who had a grip on the girl before Mika attacked.

Lacus went to attack the newcomer, but another like got in his way and locked swords with him while another took the three children they were 'escorting' away from them and towards the helicopters where the vampires were being killed off and their helicopters hijacked.

Lacus glared at the fox mask that dared interfered with them, "Behind you!" Mika warned Lacus since he couldn't move with all the spikes lodged in his body immobilizing him.

Lacus looked behind him to see yet another copy charging at him, reacting quickly, he kicked his opponent away and turned to strike the next attacker that dared to go up against him. Before he could land a strike, his attacker disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving him confused as to where his opponent went. Before he had time to react, an Earth Spike impaled him from behind and rose 20 feet in the air, carrying the violet haired vampire with it.

As soon as it stopped, Lacus craned his neck around to see where the masked man is and saw him walking towards one of the helicopters, waving mockingly at Lacus as though to say, 'Enjoy the view.' before walking inside the helicopter that began to start up and the two vampire's only means of transports carried the Naguya Nobles' dinner away.

Walking inside the flying helicopter, the clones of the masked warrior piloted each transport, taking them and the children to the safe haven on his island that he created.

He stared at the children seated on either sides of the helicopter, some stared at him with curiosity and some with apprehension, which is understandable considering he could be worse than the vampires.

"Um..." he turned to the little girl he saved from Mika, she looked a little frightened, but was brave enough to speak, "Th-Thank you for saving us." she bowed her head to him in her seat.

He smiled underneath his mask and nodded his head to her in acknowledgement before walking to the co-pilot seat and sighed, relieved that he was able to spare more lives in this godforsaken world.

* * *

Looking through a small telescope, the fox masked warrior watched vampire exterminators that were tied to crosses as though they are ready to be crucified.

He glared through the mask and telescope at the thought before moving his sights to the windows that have the three nobles that he has to be careful for, especially the one with the braid, the sole male vampire of the trio is by far the strongest.

He's taking another risk being here, but these human lives are just as valued as the children he saved.

"The Moon Demon Company is sending aid to rescue their comrades." a voice stated behind him. Removing the 'scope from his eye, "Did I come here for nothing then?" he asked, devoid of emotion, not looking behind him since he is all too familiar with the feminine voice.

The woman chuckled behind him, "No, though I must admit that the soldiers that they are sending are formidable foes against vampires, but even they won't be able to take down a vampire like Crowley." she said as she came to stand beside the masked warrior who chose to keep his eyes off the woman who saved him and his family from dying on the day he was born.

"So in other words, I'll be savin' their asses when things get hairy." He verified, not liking the fact that more lives are on the line.

"Well, you'll be saving either Guren's or Yuichiro Hyakuya." The woman said, making the masked warrior turn to her in question before she continued, "One of them will be captured alive for information by Crowley."

"Is that all?" he asked.

"No, more vampires will come by twenty helicopters, maybe more." she answered, blowing a stray dark-blue bang out of her face. "Plus some Horsemen."

He felt anger for having more to deal with, "You're kidding me, right?" he asked in his light feathery voice.

She shook her head, "Unfortunately, no. You seem to have more on your plate." she smirked, "Though you can summon _your_ own set of monsters, if I remember correctly." she commented, remembering the last time he summoned his creatures, it was funny the way the vampires saw something bigger than the Horsemen monsters.

The masked warrior laughed lightly, the memory fresh in his head whenever he gave the vampires a taste of their own medicine. "I feel a little better knowing I have something those blood suckers don't." he said, smiling behind his clay mask.

"That's good." she said before looking to her left with a calculating look before smirking, "They're here." she said as she continued to stare at the building housing the vampire extermination unit.

"Should we give them a heads up?" The masked warrior asked before a green light transforming into a large bird shot towards the part of the building containing the nobles, destroying a part of the building, but not the vampires. Looking through his 'scope, he saw Crowley holding on to the demon bird and tossing it aside unscathed. "Never mind, it seems they wouldn't want to listen to me anyway." he concluded, putting down his telescope.

"They wouldn't understand." the woman added, before walking away a little, "I'm going back to the island. Gotta make sure the barrier remains intact. See you when you get back, Namari." she said waving behind her before Namari stopped her, "Wait, how is everyone back home?" he asked, not turning around to look at her.

"Everyone is safe, no one suspects the island's existence." the woman answered honestly, turning her head to look at Namari's back.

"No, my family." Namari said, referring to his birthplace and the people he loves.

The woman sighed, knowing that him thinking about his real home fills him with sadness each time, but it motivates him to finish his job faster if he wants to return home one day. "They miss you terribly, my spies found out that your twin has just found himself a girlfriend that can tolerate his craziness." she said, hoping that his brother's happiness can get him by for this mission.

Namari smiled under his mask, "It was about time he finally noticed her, now it's only the matter of him proposing to her." he commented humorously as he thought of his less than subtle older brother.

The woman laughed, knowing how true it was, "Good luck, Namari." she said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Namari hummed before another explosion hit the vampire building in tower portion of the structure, "Well, no time like the present." he said before disappearing into the building and masking his presence, waiting for the moment where he needs to save the Moon Demon Company.

* * *

Acting as bait didn't go as planned for Shinya and Guren, seeing how they are being chased by a very powerful vampire they could not land a single scratch on.

"Are they coming?" Guren grunted as he and Shinya ran down the hall with the latter's left arm around Guren's shoulder due to an injury that back fired on the sniper.

Shinya looked behind them to see no one following them before looking back at Guren, "I think I managed to scare the bastards off with that last one." he said as they continued to run.

Not a moment after Shinya said that, Crowley destroyed the wall ahead of them, cutting them off.

"Shinya!" Guren exclaimed as he pushed him away from him and the vampire that swung his sword down on him, to which he blocked. Guren was about to run his sword through the vampire, but Crowley beat him to it by stabbing his sword straight into Guren's shoulder, causing the latter to gasp in pain.

"Guren!" Shinya exclaimed when he saw his friend get stabbed through the shoulder & falling to his knees.

Crowley, the smiling bastard said, "Oops, I forgot, I'm not supposed to kill you." he dug his sword deeper into Guren's shoulder, "At least not until after you've answered all of my questions." he added.

Shinya struggled to aim his weapon at the vampire without hurting Guren, but Guren intervened saying, "I'm already dead Shinya, you need to take command and finish the mission without me." he said, despite the pain his body is in as Shinya's eyes widened at his statement.

Crowley retched his sword out of Guren and picked him up by the neck as Guren dropped his sword, "That's an order, Shinya."

"You should listen to your commander, before I decide I need _two _subjects for intel." Crowley warned as he held Guren in the air.

The ground beside Crowley cracked and exploded from below as Yuu shot out of the ground with a battle cry, swinging his sword at the noble who blocked it effortlessly before spinning around to deliver a lethal blow that will finish him.

However, Kimizuki appeared and blocked him with his dual swords as Yoichi jumped out of the hole and fired arrows at the noble, which said noble dodged easily.

"Go, Tenjiryu!" Mitsuba exclaimed as she slammed her cursed weapon on the ground, splitting the ground & creating blue flames that crept toward the noble and engulfing him in flames, but he seems to ignore said flames as though he doesn't feel any pain from them.

"Die!" Yuu yelled as he charged at Crowley, but Crowley used Guren as a shield, making Yuu gasp and jumping away to avoid hitting his Commander.

Crowley moved Guren aside to keep the soldiers in his line of sight, "You're so nice." He said, mocking their weakness.

Yuu held his sword out in front of him, "Fan out." he said as swords surrounded him before he fired them at Crowley, but his two lackies, Chess and Horn appeared and deflected his swords.

Yuu growled in frustration, "Dammit." he charged at the vampire, Chess who brought her sword down on him, which he blocked as she bore down on him with her vampire strength.

Horn used this opportunity to wrap the end of her whip around Yuu's ankle and threw him up in the air. As he hung there for a few seconds, Chess charged with her sword in hand, aiming to kill Yuu.

Shinoa rushed in, "Yuu!" she blocked Chess' attack before she and Yuu were thrown back and ended up on their back and sides as Chess and Horn approached for a second attack.

Shinoa got up from the ground issuing orders, "Everyone, we need to regroup!" she said as Kimizuki picked Yuu off the ground responding, "All right! Fall back!" he said as he dragged Yuu with him.

Yoichi stepped in front of them, "Gekkouin!" he said as he fired five arrows at the vampires as Mitsuba slammed her weapon down once more, "Tenjiryu!" she exclaimed as blue flames rose up, shielding them, "Hold them back!" she commanded before sprinting off in the opposite direction with her team. However, the shield didn't hold for long as it was slashed away by the vampires it intended protect the humans from.

Remembering the object of their mission isn't with them, Yuu began to struggle to get out of Kimizuki's hold, "Wait! We can't leave! Guren's-"

"What are you still doing here!?" Guren interrupted, still hanging in Crowley's grip as he struggled to crane his neck to look at them, "Follow your orders! Get out of here right now!"

"Okay, shut up now." Crowley said as he tossed Guren into the wall, breaking it partially as Guren made contact and coughed up blood on impact.

Yuu tried to pull away from Kimizuki's grip when he saw Guren near unconsciousness, "Guren!"

Crowley turned away from Guren to look at Yuu, "Aren't you that boy that lost control in Shinjuku?" he smiled, "This has become very interesting."

Horn turned to Crowley, "May I kill-" she cut herself off when her eyes caught a shimmering near-invisible blur kneeling beside Guren. Crowley followed her gaze and swung his sword at the blur.

His sword stopped in mid-strike, causing his followers and the human's' eyes to widen in surprise.

When looking at what stopped his sword closely, everyone could see a blurry-transparent hand grasping the blade of his sword, keeping the weapon from causing damage. Blood seeped onto the blade the hand was holding, giving everyone an outline of fingers as the blood leaked between them, down its arm, to its elbow and onto the floor.

Crowley's eyes gleamed in fascination, "Well, now _this _is interesting." he said, licking his lips, getting thirsty at the sight of blood.

From the hand grasping the blade, color began come into focus as the blur started to turn into a person. Or rather a full body dark cloaked person with black gloves and a fox mask covering his face appeared.

Despite the pain Namari's hand is in, he gripped the blade tightly as more of his blood trickled out of him. "And who might you be?" Crowley asked curiously, looking down on the kneeling figure that appeared before their eyes.

Namari didn't answer, he sent his inhuman power into the hand gripping the blade, making said hand glow blue with a quiet hum. He smirked at the confused look of this blood-sucking bastard, "Your enemy." he said before snapping the sword in his grasp in half with a _tink _that echoed through the hall.

The moment the sword snapped, Namari dropped half of the blade and slammed his fist into the floor in front of him, making the floor the vampires are standing on and the wall behind them to rumble, crack and fall apart beneath them, crumbling below. The vampires, not reacting fast enough, went down with the rubble with surprised looks on their faces as they tumbled down three stories.

Namari turned to face the LT. Colonel to check his pulse and felt he is still alive as he opened his eyes to see the fox mask staring directly back at him, "Who are you?" he asked before coughing up more blood.

Namari placed the palm of his hand on Guren's injured shoulder as the rest of vampire exterminators rushed forward to make sure their leader was alright.

As Namari laid his hand on the injury, the same light blue glow covered his hand and Guren's wound, making Yuu dash over to them, worried for his mentor, "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, sword drawn, ready to kill the masked man if he did anything.

Namari seemed unfazed behind his mask as he concentrated on his work, "Relax, I'm only healing his shoulder." he explained as he patched Guren's shoulder and added, "We should probably get out of here before those three come back." he calmly said as he finished healing Guren's shoulder and picked him up fireman style before he began running towards the exit, dashing past the team.

"Hey!" Yuu exclaimed in surprise as this mysterious man carried their leader off, "Wait a second!" he said as he jumped over the large hole with his team following right behind him, "Where are you taking him?" he asked as he and his team followed this masked man.

"Getting him out of here before that smiling bastard comes back." Namari answered as they turned a corner that would lead them out of building, "Besides, I need some fresh air." he add as he all but flew down the stairs with Guren in tow.

"Care to explain to us who you are?" Shinoa asked as they followed Namari until they were at the entrance, hearing vampires and humans battling each other.

Namari wrenched the door open, being careful not to tear it off its hinges as he stepped outside with the rest of the humans following as Mitsuba closed the door when she was last to come outside.

Once outside, Namari passed Guren to Yuu and said, "Hold him." before he took out his 'scope to look out over the horizon. He cursed under his breath when he saw more than 20 helicopters flying towards them. "Damnit." he removed the 'scope from his eye, glaring behind his mask before he felt tremors shaking the earth around them. Looking to his right, he saw through the 'scope Horsemen coming by at least a dozen at most. Gritting his teeth, "Shit." he said as he removing the 'scope.

"It's official, you guys are outnumbered and outmatched in the state you're in." Namari informed them as Guren began to stir.

"What?" Guren said, regaining consciousness and attempted to stand on his own, despite Yuu's protests as he hobbled over to Namari who gave the 'scope for him to see enemy reinforcements coming, "This is bad." Guren said before giving the 'scope back to Namari who stuffed it in his sleeve pocket saying dryly, "Told you."

Guren ignored him as he turned to Shinoa's team, "Listen up we are outmatched and outnumbered. We must retreat now." he said, issuing orders despite his injuries.

Namari scoffed at such an obvious order, "You won't be able to retreat in time, there are nobles in those helicopters, you won't be able to out-run them, especially their queen and Bathory." Namari stated, still facing the horizon.

Guren turned to glare at Namari, "How do you know that?" he demanded before his eyes widened when he realized who he was talking to, "Wait, you're Fox-Demon."

Namari turned to Guren with an annoyed look crossing his features underneath the mask when he used the word demon that was branded on him and his brother while they were growing up, "First of all Ichinose, my name is Namari. Second, I have a reliable source which I will not share with you. Third, I'm taking a risk saving your sorry-close-to-vampire-meal-hide. So show some respect to the _demon_ that absolutely despises vampires, 'cause you need my help to get the hell out of Nagoya and the only way to do that is if I get you out of here _my way._" Once he was finished telling Guren off he took deep breaths to calm himself before he ends up destroying the building they were standing on. He already made that mistake once.

Guren had a dumbfounded expression on his face as he was scolded like a disobedient child and couldn't help but feel embarrassed in front of his family who stood behind him with astonished looks on their faces.

Swallowing his pride, he said, "I apologize for calling you Fox-Demon, but the Moon Demon Company didn't know how else to label you."

This caught everyone's attention, especially Yuu's, "Wait, you know him?" he asked looking from Namari to Guren.

"Sort of, Fox-Demon appears at random locations wherever and whenever humans are captured by vampires and disappears with said humans without a trace, only leaving behind vampire corpses and destruction for us to find and clean up." Guren explains as he continued to stare at Namari the Fox-Demon.

Namari chuckled under his mask, "My reputation here precedes me, how flattering."

Guren frowned at Namari's comment, "Well, can you realy get us out of here?" he asked, going back to the problem at hand.

Namari nodded, "Yes, seeing how we are all basically trapped like a bunch of rats with no way of getting out alive in the current situation we are in..." he took out a bunch of seals from inside his cloak and handed Guren said seals before unsheathing his katana and began to draw a giant circle around them, "...I'm gonna need you people to tag your troops with these seals. I have a spell that will get everyone out of here." he explained as he completed the circle and started drawing symbols required for his spell.

Guren nodded before turning to his team, "Alright, we're on high alert. Gather everyone and give them each a seal, we need to leave at once. Shinya, shoot off a signal when you're done with your task." he ordered, keeping a strong front despite the pain most of his body was in. "Me, Yuu, and Kimizuki will stay here and stand guard in case that vampire comes back." He added, directing his gaze on the two mentioned who nodded their heads in agreement.

"Go, now!" Guren ordered, the rest of them dispersing to do their jobs while Namari swiftly and with precision, continued to draw kanji symbols in the dirt. Guren, Yuu and Kimizuki surrounding the circle, keeping their senses open for any sign of danger that dares to come near.

After a long silence, minus Namari scratching the dirt with his sword, Guren spoke, "Why exactly did you decide to help us?" he asked, not letting his guard down.

Namari did stop what he was doing, "I may be considered a demon by humans and vampires, but I am not a monster." he answered, concentrating on his work.

"Then what are you exactly?" Guren asked, staring at the masked warrior from the corner of his eye.

Namari smirked under his mask, "I'm just a human with power. I'm like you, but at the same time, I'm not like you." he added, enjoying the confusion that he feels emanating from the three of them.

Guren glared in front of him, trying to understand what this strange person said. Suddenly, he sensed something charging at him from the side. Reflexes kicking in, he blocked the attack with his sword. Glaring at the owner of the sword, he recognized the smiling vampire noble who just locked swords with Guren.

"Looks like I found you." Crowley said as Guren glared daggers at him.

Yuu sprang into action, "Guren!" he charged at the noble, wanting to help his leader.

"Yuichiro, behind you!" Namari as he threw three kunai with explosive tags at the petit vampire that tried to attack Yuu from behind.

The explosion blinded Chess as she coughed, "Hey, that's not fair." she said, pouting as she glared at Namari for interfering.

"Your problem, not mine." Namari simply said as he went back to slashing symbols in the dirt before a familiar blonde with a whip tried to attack Namari, but was blocked by Kimizuki.

"Keep them busy, I'm almost done." Namari said as he continued his work, just about finished with the spell.

Kimizuki blocked the strike of Horn's whip, "No problem." he said as he charged after his opponent.

As all three vampire exterminators fought their opponents, Namari continued creating symbols on the ground, just about finishing up the main symbol at the center.

With one final slash on the ground, Namari turned in the direction where the rest of the squad went, waiting for Shinya to set off the signal so that they could get out of here. He turned to Guren who was being pushed back by Crowley who basically had the upper hand.

"Might as well kill time while I'm at it." Namari said as he flashed behind Crowley, only to lock swords when Crowley spun and blocked the attack.

Crowley smiled as he stared at the fox mask, feeling the glare burn through those eye holes and into his head, "Good to see you again, Fox Demon." he said, using Namari's monicker.

Namari noticed the noble's sword, "Didn't I just snap your fucking sword in half?" he asked tauntingly, smirking behind his ceramic mask.

Crowley merely smiled as he effortlessly pushed back against the warrior, "You did, but I had a spare." he said as Namari leapt away when Crowley slashed at him.

Landing a few feet away from the noble, Namari kept his guard up, "What, you pull that one out of your ass? On second thought, don't answer that. I don't wanna know." he said, making Crowley chuckle until Guren attacked from behind. However, Crowley blocked his attack and grabbed his arm before throwing him in Namari's direction. Namari barely had time to react as he moved his sword away to avoid impaling Guren. Before he could figure out his next move, Guren crashed into him, the two of them skidding across the ground.

Once the two stopped skidding, Guren lifted himself off of Namari with a groan, "Sorry about that." he apologized, pushing himself off of Namari.

"No problem." Namari replied, pulling himself into a sitting position while holding his head.

At lightning speed, Crowley appeared in front of them and struck his sword down on them. However, his sword only damaged the ground, the commander and the masked man disappeared. Looking around in confusion, he saw Namari standing close to the circle, holding Guren with his arm wrapped around his shoulder.

Namari shook with adrenaline as he glared the smiling noble, he didn't think, he only acted on pure reflex the moment that vampire appeared within his sights. Namari heard something fall to the ground by his feet, looking down, he saw that it was the right ear and eye piece of his fox mask. Reaching to touch the broken part of his mask, he cursed under his breath when he felt his eye brow and his orange-golden bangs peeking out.

Guren looked at Namari in concern, "You alright?" he asked before his eyes widened at the lock of hair that shone in the light.

Namari grinned under his mask, "This is nothing. But this guy's very annoying." he said, making Guren grin as well as he stepped away from the fox mask.

_*Boom*_

The sound caused everyone to look up to see Shinya's Byakomaru shooting upwards towards the sky, giving them the signal at last.

"It's about fucking time." Namari said as he rushed to the center of the circle and grasped the blade of her katana, making himself bleed out and stream down the blade. Once the blade was coated in his blood, he stabbed it into the center, causing the markings on the ground to glow red as he sent his chakra into the circle through the blade.

Guren, Yuichiro and Kimizuki's eyes widen in shock when they saw themselves glowing light blue. They turned their gaze to Namari who began to glow as well as he did a series of handsigns.

The three vampires tried to use their distraction to their advantage by attacking them, however, they were surprised when their weapons went through the humans but not harming them. Their eyes, including the humans, widened to the point where they could be dinner plates.

With one final handsign, Namari enacted the spell, "Ninja Art: Transportation Jutsu." before swiftly falling to his knees and slamming his hands on the ground next to his sword, sending a burst of energy into the circle. This in turn made the circle glow brighter before it shined at it's brightest in an explosion of light, making the vampires shield their eyes at the intensity of of the light.

When the light finally died down, all the humans disappeared without a trace. All that remained was a crater of what used to be the circle the fox demon created.

Crowley sighed in disappointment, "Ferid's not gonna be happy about this." he said, frowning as Chess pouted and Horn remained silent.


	2. Chapter 2

Guren groaned as he opened his eyes, closing them immediately when met with brightness. As soon as his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked around to find himself in what appears to be a hospital room. Pulling himself into a sitting position, he heard the sound of waves crashing, making him turn to the curtained window.

Curiosity getting the better of him, he got out of bed slowly in order to make sure he doesn't hurt himself. Pushing himself off the bed, he used the wall for support as he moved towards the window. Once he reached his destination, he opened the curtains and thought he died and went to heaven.

Outside, he saw a cloudless sky and a beach. But most of all, he saw people down below from his two story window, trading and socializing with one another as well as children kicking a ball at the beach.

This was too good to be real, for nearly a decade he has been fighting in the ruins of Japan. Hearing the wind blow through the carcasses of buildings torn apart by time and war. Having to deal with the lifelessness, even within the safety of Shibuya where any day could be your last, never knowing when the vampires would strike home.

But here, he could see that there was no fear, no anguish among these people. This was place was full of people; full of life. His eyes watered, remembering how much he missed being normal and alive...when he wasn't part of the Demon Army.

"This can't be real." Guren said to himself, not truly believing that this was reality that he wants back deep down.

The sound of the door opening made him turn around to see Shinoa's team coming in, Yuu's eyes widened when he saw his mentor up on his feet, "Guren!" he exclaimed, rushing at his leader and embracing him like he did the first time they met.

"Ow, easy." Guren yelled, as pain throbbed in his side.

Yuu quickly moved away, "Sorry about that." he said, feeling sheepish as Guren moved back to the bed, Yuu assisting him along the way.

Once Guren was situated back in bed, he asked them what happened.

Yuu was the one who filled him in on what happened since Nagoya. When Namari enacted his spell, everyone was brought to this island that remains unknown to the world. The moment everyone appeared on the beach in a burst of light, Guren collapsed due to his injuries. According to Namari, Guren's injuries took their toll on him. Thanks to Namari's healing abilities, all Guren needed was to rest and to take it easy.

"How long have I been asleep?" Guren asked after Yuu finished the story.

"About eight hours. You were quite a heavy sleeper." Shinoa answered, teasing him a little.

Guren nodded before the fox mask entered his mind, he is grateful to the fox demon for saving the lives of his men. However, he couldn't help but be suspicious of him, the masked man carries many mysteries about him; what he is, who he is, where he came from, how he learned those spells and why he wears the mask. Guren didn't like not knowing who he is working with, even if they saved his skin.

"Something wrong Guren?" Yuu asked, wondering why his commander suddenly blanked out.

Guren looked at Yuu, "Yeah, this Namari guy, where is he exactly?"

"He walked off after he healed everyone, said he was going to sleep." Yuu answered before asking, "Why do you ask?"

Guren stared at his hand that rested on the sheets, "There's something a little off about him; that mask, those spells...no one can do the things he does without a Cursed Gear. He's not a vampire, but he's not like other humans, that's for sure." he said, narrowing his eyes as he thought of the mysterious Namari.

Everyone remained silent, all of their thoughts occupied by the fox mask that was their savior.

Kimizuki decided to break the silence, "I have to agree." he said, making everyone look at him before he continued, "He's hiding something, and it's not because of the mask. He was holding back in his fight."

"You're right about that." Guren said, his mind going back to their fight with the vampires, "His speed rivaled that of the vampires. I never seen his movements when he dragged us away from that strike. It all happened before I could even blink." he recounted the experience that was still fresh in his head.

"But he saved us, doesn't that account for something." Everyone turned to Yoichi who became uncomfortable under their gaze. "I mean, yeah I know he's not normal, but he doesn't seem to like vampire anymore than we do." He added in defense to Namari.

Mitsuba chimed in, "We can't deny that, however, we cannot truly trust him. If he was holding back in his fight, then he could've easily vanquished those vampires in an instant. For all we know, he could be working for the vampires, bringing us all in one spot to kill us off." she theorized, her eyes glancing out the window to stare at the people below. Looking at the sky, she saw that it was nearly sunset.

"So what do we do, stalk him, find out where he lives and beat the answers out of him?" Yuu asked rhetorically, looking at his mentor.

Guren smirked, "Not stalk him, per se. Rather, we're gonna ask where he lives first and then go to his home when it's dark. We'll find out what he's _really _hiding." he said, giving them the plan on what's going to happen.

"What if these people don't know where he lives?" Yuu asked, not really hoping that this plan would work.

"Ask around and find out." Guren said as he got comfortable in bed, "Wake me up when you got something." he said, getting under the covers.

Yuu scoffed, "Great, leave us to do all the work while you take your nap." he said, walking out of the room with the rest of the team following not too far behind. Once the door closed, Guren was left alone to rest as he pulled the covers over his body before falling asleep.

* * *

Sliding open the shoji door to his home, the sole residence of the house gave an exhausted sigh as he closed the door behind him. After taking off his shoes and leaving them by the door, Namari made his way to his room in order to recuperate from today's events.

Once within the security of his room, he sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands, massaging the headache that was beginning to grow. His hands touched the damaged part of his mask where the fox ear and eye used to be. Carefully, he removed the ceramic mask from his face to look at the damage done by that vampire.

For a long moment, he stared at the face of the mask before looking up at the mirror in front of him. "That was close...way too close." he said to himself, his gentle voice seeming higher that usual as he remembered that moment where his face was almost completely revealed to the humans and vampires.

He gave another exhausted sigh as he stripped out of his clothes and hopped into the shower to wash away the latest battle.

* * *

It was night time, most of the residents of the island have alreadfallen asleep. All except for a certain commander.

Guren hid within the shadows of trees, keeping his senses on high alert should anything try and sneak attack him. From the info gathered by his teammates, Namari lived on a hill inside a small house that had a red roof. Namari's residence had absolutely no other houses surrounding it, completely isolated from the population.

Guren ordered his team to get some rest, not telling them that he was going on a solo mission to find out what Namari truly is. Sneaking out doing something outrageous made him feel like a rebellious teenager again. That thought made him smile as he spotted the house behind the trees that matched the description given to him.

Being careful not to make too much noise, he darted to the side of the front door of the house. Pressing his ear to the wood, he closed his eyes, expanding his senses in order to determine where Namari is within the house. At the sound of water running in the shower, he slid the door open slowly, so that he wouldn't make a sound. Stepping inside, he closed the door in the same fashion.

Looking around, he saw that the inside was like any other house; a living room with a tv and couch and a kitchen. It was casual and civil in his opinion.

Guren remained silent as he walked down the hall where he heard the shower running. Once he was outside the door Namari was hiding behind, he opened the door just a crack to see the inside without being noticed.

The shower turned off, causing Guren to remain still as the bathroom door opened, steam coming out with Namari who wore a white robe and a towel wrapped around his head. His back was to the door, making Guren a little frustrated since he can't catch a glimpse of his face.

Namari then pulled the towel off his head, making Guren's heart stop at what he saw. Beautiful long hair flowed down Namari's back in waves which was golden/orange color that graduates and fades to bright red as it reaches the floor.

'No way...could he be…?' Guren's thought was interrupted when Namari decided to undo the robe, letting it fall to the floor and pool at the feet. Underneath that robe, was a cream colored, spaghetti strapped nightgown that reached the floor and hugged..._womanly curves?_

Guren's eyes widened in shock as he gasped...the sound making Namari turn around swiftly. As if in slow motion, Namari's hair flowed fluently with _her _movements, giving her a perfect form of an angel. But the moment Guren saw Namari's face, his breath was literally taken from him. Never had he seen someone so beautiful, so ethereal. He forgot about the war, he forgot about the vampires...he even forgot his name. Not being in control of his body, he opened the door fully, his eyes still transfixed on this inhuman beauty.

"Y-You're-" was all he uttered out before he found himself on the floor with the door was closed and a furious Namari sitting on his stomach, her hair pooling around her and as she placed her hands around his neck. Not enough to choke him, but enough to let him know that she was in control. For some reason, that thought brought a smile to his face.

Namari's grey-blue orbs glared at his smile, "Why are you smiling?" she asked, her voice soft and clear, laced with warmth with a warning hidden beneath it.

Guren continued to smile, not in a mocking way, but rather in a content manner. Not afraid to die at this beautiful woman's hands that rest at his neck, ready to end his life in a heartbeat. "Not sure, I was just surprised to see an unbelievably beautiful woman behind the mask." he said, looking up into her eyes with admiration.

Namari felt her heart flutter at the intensity of his eyes and words, but tried to brush off his words with a glare, "Flattery is not gonna save you." she said, tightening her grip on his throat slightly.

Guren felt her grip, but didn't seem to mind it as much, "Not really expecting it to. I just came here to find out what you were hiding...and I'm quite satisfied really." he said, surprising Namari.

Namari raised an eyebrow, "And why is that." she asked.

Guren kept his eyes on her, letting her goddess-like beauty sear into his head, not wanting to miss a single moment, "Because if you really have to kill me, I'll be happy that it was at the hands of someone beautiful, that your face will be the last thing I see when I die." he said in resignation, ready for his life to end, "Protect your secret, do what you must, just allow me to see you."

Namari couldn't understand this human, this man is a LT Colonel who is ready to take down a hundred vampires...yet here he was, resigned to die at her hands for finding out her gender. He doesn't look like the type to spew out a secret to every guy he knows, but can she trust him with the biggest secret that could endanger the lives of those around her if it falls to the wrong hands?

Namari sighed, slowing releasing her hold on his neck and rested them on his chest, staring down at him with curiosity, "You're a strange human. You would rather die by my hands than on the battlefield dragging as many vampires back to hell where they belong." she said in a calm manner.

Guren chuckled lightly in his throat, "If I'm being honest with myself, I prefer a peaceful death, laughing in my enemy's' face."

Namari couldn't resist the smile that crept onto her face, "Nothing like the final laugh to show that you're not afraid of death, that you refuse to give them satisfaction." she commented, staring at Guren.

Guren nodded in agreement, "Yeah." he said, mesmerised by her and her gold/red locks that surrounded him like a curtain. Without thinking, he reached up and combed his bare fingers through her hair, admiring the silky texture and color that would put rubies and golden sunlight to shame.

Normally, a gesture like this would urk Namari and make her want to punch the guy who dared touch her. Yet when this man does it, it gives her a calming feeling, one she hasn't felt since she came to this world.

"Don't worry, I'll keep your secret." Guren said, silently promising that only he will look upon her on this island. His fingers remaining entwined in her locks.

Namari held his eyes with a questioning gaze, "How can I trust you?"

Guren merely smiled, "My life is yours to take if you doubt me. Your secret is mine for me to take to the grave." he said, basically swearing loyalty to her, 'I want to be the only one to look at you.' he added in his mind, willingly putting himself in the spell she never cast.

Namari remained silent, contemplating his words that sounded like a vow.

"You want something." she stated rather than asked.

"Well right now, I want to sit up." Guren said, making Namari smile slightly before she moved off his stomach and sat on his thighs, her legs crouched beneath her with her left knee on the ground and her right foot planted beside Guren's hip, her arms resting on her thighs.

Guren admired the pose Namari was in, he never noticed it before, but the skirt of her nightgown had ridden up, giving him a good view of her thighs.

Guren cleared those thoughts as he sat up, meeting Namari eye to eye, enjoying the proximity this position provided.

Namari blushed slightly at the look Guren was giving her, "Better?" she asked.

"Much." Guren said, his hands taking a lock of her hair and playing with it, "How come you wear the mask?" he asked, though he was more interested in the softness of her hair.

Namari sighed before answering, "Let's just say I have to remain distinguished from the people I bring here. You see, my job here is to rescue people from the vampires and give them a more peaceful life where they don't have to live in fear of becoming livestock. In order for me to do my job correctly, I have to not associate with anyone. They already see me as some demon, and whenever people see what's behind my mask..." she paused as she remembered the looks men give her, scrutinizing her, making her feel uncomfortable, "...well, the mask makes it easier, it makes me feel safe in battle when enemies on the battlefield don't see me." she looked down, immersed in a memory.

Guren felt empathy for her, already imagining the thoughts that went through men's minds when they looked at her with lust before him, wanting her to be their prize in a war. He felt urge to protect her and shield her from the world.

With tenderness, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in his embrace. Namari gasped softly, not expecting the movement as Guren tucked her head under his chin.

"I-Ichinose?" Namari said in confusion at his action, no one beside her family had ever done this to her, and strangely enough, this didn't bother her.

Guren in response, tightened his hold on her gently, his eyes holding warmth and something else pertaining to affection, "It's going to be alright, this will be our secret...until you're ready to come out of hiding." he said, swearing more of his loyalty to her.

Namari pulled away to look at him in question, "Why?"

Guren smiled, giving Namari butterflies, "Because I want to."

Namari stared at him for a moment before closing her eyes and allowing herself to held by him, secretly enjoying the safety his embrace brought, "So be it."

Guren smiled affectionately at her, his soul taking flight as he held her to him. Without warning, he stood up, making her gasp and cling to him on reflex since he still held her, "Ichinose?" she asked in surprise as he carried her to the bed. Once there, he sat at the edge of the bed and took his shoes off before positioning himself to lay on his back with his head at the top of the bed.

On his back, Namari laid sprawled on top of him, her head still tucked under his chin, his arms remained wrapped around her back. "Ichinose?" she asked again, bewildered by his actions.

"Just let me hold you." Guren requested, "Please?" he added, tightening his embrace as well.

Namari stayed silent before sighing, "Very well." she said, getting comfortable as she listened to his heartbeat that seemed to lull her into security.

Guren smiled contently, closing his eyes, ready for sleep to take him. Before he allowed sleep to claim him he asked, "Is Namari truly your name?"

Namari smiled at his question before snuggling into him, "Yes, I am Namari Namikaze." she said, allowing him to know her full name.

Guren hummed, "Beautiful." was all he said before the recesses of sleep took them away from this dark world and into a more happy one.

* * *

Namari opened her eyes to find herself alone in her bedroom, her mind processing what happened before she fell asleep. She blushed as she remembered how she willingly allowed herself to be held by the lieutenant.

Namari sat up in her bed as she held her forehead in her hand, "Idiot." she cursed herself for becoming vulnerable in a stranger's presence like that.

Pulling the covers off her body, she crawled out of bed before finding her robe that was on the ground and putting it on. "He probably went back to his team by now." She said to herself as she tied the knot and stepped out of her room.

Walking down the hall, she heard activity coming from her kitchen. She stayed silent as she approached the common area of her home, hearing low humming from a man. Stepping into the living room, she was surprised when she saw Guren standing in front of the stove boiling water.

Guren turned his head and smiled at Namari's surprised and shocked expression at seeing him in her kitchen. "Good morning." Guren said as he turned off the stove and filled two mugs that had tea bags in them.

Namari broke out of her reverie to regard Guren, "Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what are you still doing here?" she asked as Guren set the two mugs on the dining room table.

"Didn't want to go through the trouble searching for food when I got back to my team, so I decided to make us some tea and chat for a bit." Guren answered with pleasant smile on his face.

"That's the worst excuse I've ever heard." Namari said as Guren smiled at her, she had to fight the blush that wanted to come onto her face at his smile. It was beautiful and suited him immensely.

Guren merely shrugged at her response, "It was the best I could come up with." he said as he pulled out Namari's chair for her.

A slight blush dusted her cheeks at Guren's gesture before sitting down in the seat that was offered before she was pushed closer to the table. Looking down at her, she dipped the bag up and down to mix it.

Namari looked up at Guren, "So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Guren met her eyes, "I'm not one who likes to beat around the bush, so I'll cut to the chase." he paused before continuing, "I want to know who you really are and where you learned to fight." he said in a business-like tone as he stared at Namari.

Namari's expression became neutral, "You know who I am; your reports about me told you enough that I'm not in league with the vampires, neither am I loyal to the Demon Army. I merely protect the lives of humans and give them a fresh start away from all that chaos." she answered, having suspected that this is what he wants to talk to her about since last night.

Guren nodded, "I know you hate vampires as much as the next soldier, but what I want to know, is where you got your powers. The only way to kill a vampire is with a Cursed Gear, and seeing how you can handle your own against a noble without the use of one. That power and strength of yours...you're holding back more than what people see. And it's not only because of that mask you wear." he said contemplative as he watched Namari, trying to figure out the mystery behind her mask.

Namari smiled faintly as she leaned back in her chair, "You're right to suspect such a thing. It's true that I don't use a Cursed Weapon like you do, and I don't want one." she paused for a moment, "The power that you witnessed on the battlefield, there's more than meets the eye. I could've killed those vampires if I wanted to, but I would also end the lives of humans as well. Preserving human life is my main priority in this world, I would rather not risk that for the sake of my power."

She smirked slightly at Guren's dumbfounded expression, "If you're wondering where my power came from, I earned it because I worked it. Every spell that is cast comes from my very being, not from a demonic object. I'm strong because I trained hard every day to protect the people I care about." she finished, her mind wandering to her childhood years when she fought everyday to get stronger for herself and her brother.

Guren couldn't help but stare at her in wonder, the way her voice sounded strong yet gentle when she speaks instantly captivates him. Her cryptic answer only left him with even more questions that only Namari could answer.

Guren closed his eyes with a sigh, "You're not gonna tell me who you are, or where you came from, are you?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at her again.

Namari nodded, "Anymore information, then your life would be in danger. I'm sorry, but these answers must suffice for now." she said before she took a sip of her tea.

Guren hummed, trying to read her as he tried to interpret what she said. With a sigh he said, "Very well, I'll take it for now." as he took a sip from his own mug. An arrogant smile came onto his face, making Namari tense up, "But I will find out eventually, one way or another, until I know everything about you."

Namari glared at him, "Is that a threat?" she said, hating herself even more for letting this arrogant man hold her last night.

Guren merely smiled that roguish smile of his, the one he reserves for battles, "No, it's a promise." he said as he took another sip out of his mug. Putting the mug down, he locked eyes with her, "You're a mysterious woman with high moral, and that makes me want to know more about you." he paused to let her process what he said, "I meant what I said before, I'll keep your identity a secret."

Namari narrowed her eyes at him, "How can I trust you?" she said, clearly remembering their interaction last night.

Guren counted off his fingers, "One; I owe you a debt for saving me and my comrades. Two; you had a chance to kill me last night, so I'd rather tread carefully. Third...well...I should be the only one to see you as you are." he finished, his eyes glazed over as he stared at her, from her hair to her waist as her legs disappeared under the table.

Namari blushed and looked to the side, "That's a horrible reason. Idiot." she said, trying to sound irritated and annoyed at this man, but couldn't help that fluttering in her stomach when he said that.

Guren smiled, under that strong demeanor, lies a shy woman who is not used to a man saying such things to her. "I should get back to my team, otherwise they'll think I'm dead in a ditch somewhere." He said standing up, before going to the sink to clean his mug.

Namari glanced up a Guren as he moved around the kitchen in a calm reserved manner. Looking at him now, she realized that he stood around six feet, about a head taller if she stood in front of him, and she could also make out some muscles underneath his uniform.

Tearing her eyes away from his form, "Yes, you should." she replied before he could notice her staring at him.

Guren smiled when he felt her eyes linger on him as he placed the mug in the drying rack. Drying his hands on the towel next to the sink he said, "I'll talk to you soon, see you later." as he left the kitchen and made his way to the front door. Pausing in front of the entrance, he turned his head to her, "By the way, you were very nice to cuddle with." he said, smiling at Namari's blush and glare.

"Shut up, don't ever speak of it again!" Namari exclaimed indignantly as she glared at Guren who merely chuckled, "Just teasing, gotta go." was all he said before escaping out the door before she decided to attack him.

Guren looked at the sky that started brighten with the sun coming up on the horizon, "Things are about to get interesting." he said to himself as he walked back to town with Namari on his mind, just the mere sight of her makes his heart race and mind shut down.

When he woke up that morning, he wanted nothing more than to see what was under that nightgown of hers and worship it. However, he chose not to give into that desire since that would destroy the trust he wanted to build with her. Having her in his arms felt like heaven to him, something he wanted to bask in forever and never let go.

Guren sighed to himself before laughing to himself, "Who'd have thought that a commander like me could sink so low and become like this." he said to no one in particular. With another sigh and a relaxed smile, he said, "Well, too late now, and 'sides, I saw her first, so she's mine." he basically declared his intentions as he made his way back to civilization, his latest mission regarding the golden-red goddess on his mind.


End file.
